Yeah.
You see 'em in the movies, the pirates with the eyepatches and the parrots.
Saying "arr" and walking the plank.
Cute.
But look around you.
The real pirates ain't on no galleon.
They're in penthouses.
[Verse 1 ]
They brought the pirate captain to the court of the king
Said "You steal a few silver pieces, you're a villainous thing"
The captain just laughed, with a gold-toothed grin
Said "Your Majesty, let's be honest about the shape we're in"
He said "I rob a few ships on a seven-sea span
But you, you steal the whole world, any way that you can"
[Chorus]
So hail to the Pirate King!
Watch his tiny little fingers work the puppet string!
He don't wear a peg leg, he wears a bad toupee
He'll steal your tomorrow and sell you today!
Yo ho ho, he's got a billion-dollar scheme
And he tells you it's a treasure, but it's rust and it's steam!
[Verse 2]
He's got a golden toilet on a marble deck
And a map to a country he just ran into a wreck
He calls himself a builder, calls himself a boss
But the only thing he's sailing is the good ship Double Cross
He says "Trust me, says I, I'm the only one who cares"
While he's pickin' at your pocket on the Senate downstairs
[Chorusl]
So hail to the Pirate King!
Watch his tiny little fingers work the puppet string!
He don't wear a cutlass, he wears a red silk tie
He'll look you in the eye and he'll happily lie!
Yo ho ho, he's got a billion-dollar grift
And the fools on the shore think he's some kind of gift
[Bridge - spoken-sung, Tennessee Wayne getting worked up]
Saint Augustine told the world, and it's plain to see
"A kingdom without justice is just a big old robbery."
Well, this ain't a kingdom, friends. This here's a ransom note.
He's the Pirate King of the boardroom, the pulpit, the vote.
He says "I alone can fix it," well, fix it for who?
He's already sold the anchor, the hull, and the crew!
[Verse 3 - quieter, darker]
The copper pirates on the lakes, they're just small-time folks
They steal a little wire, tell a little joke
But the Pirate King, he steals the pension and the farm
He steals the very idea of "doin' no harm"
He's got a pirate fleet of white-collar thieves
And the flag on his mast is just a bundle of leaves
[Outro ]
Hey!
(HEY!)
What do you do with a pirate king?
(WHAT DO YOU DO?)
You stop believing anything!
He's a grift! He's a con! He's a gold-plated sin!
And the ship he's on is the one we're all in!
So raise up your glass, but don't drink his rum
The Pirate King's day is gonna come...
The Pirate King's day is gonna come... undone.